A New Direction
by sellthelie
Summary: The path is not set in stone, you need to adapt if you are to survive. Harry & Pansy.
1. Beginnings

**Disclaimer: Belongs to JK Rowling**

**A New Direction **

_Part One _

……

In her entire life she had never felt worse. This feeling of trepidation had taken over. The nerves were extreme. Debilitating to a degree, she couldn't move. Her only thought was that this had to end soon. He told her it shouldn't take too long, and that he would come to her as soon as it was over.

But he never told her it would take this long. It seemed like hours since dinner when he told her to go down to the common room and stay there. In all reality it was only ninety minutes, but every second felt like a minute, and every minute felt like an hour. Time would not go any faster, no matter how much she desired it too.

She always knew it would come down to this. He had been up to something. His moods had been up and down all year long, the others hadn't noticed. But she'd been his friend, a part of his life for as long as she could remember. Something was up, he hadn't told her what it was, but she wasn't stupid, she realised it was coming to a head tonight. Whatever he was involved in, it was happening tonight.

She looked around the common room, and noticed how to everyone else it was just another night. The year was nearly over. They could relax slightly. It was as jovial as the Slytherin common room ever got. They had no idea that everything was about to change, of course she didn't know if it was going to. But she could tell, everything that had happened this year, it had been leading up to this night.

She knew for real the moment Slughorn and Professor Sprout came into the common room, that whatever it was, it happened. They would never have come down here otherwise, at least not without Professor Snape. So whatever had happened, it was big.

While she was running all of this through her mind, the main question that overpowered it all, where was Draco?

_To be continued..._


	2. Dawn

**Disclaimer: Belongs to JK Rowling**

**A New Direction **

**Part Two**

……

The more things change, the more they say the same.

He remembered hearing someone saying that at some stage or another, and it rang true to him right now. There had been so many changes this year, but nothing had really changed. There was still a homicidal sociopath who wanted to kill him. He was still surrounded by friends, but still felt like he was all-alone. And once again someone he looked up to, someone he always pictured being there, was gone. Unlike Sirius he wasn't taken by the enemy, well he was. But the enemy wasn't supposed to be our enemy. He had supposedly been on our side. That proved to be false.

He couldn't if he tried count how many times he had told Hermione that Snape wasn't to be trusted, but she had held steadfast in her belief that as he was a Hogwarts teacher, a member of the Order, they could trust him to a certain degree. He had never believed that, and the fact that Snape was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy, and the events in the North Tower proved it. That man wasn't to be trusted, and he knew that next time he saw him, the fact that he used to be a teacher, a member of the Order, well it would count for naught, he would be ready.

But at the moment he had bigger fish to fry, there was Horcruxes to find and destroy, which was not going to be an easy task. Then he would have to face Voldemort for the final time. He wasn't ready to face that, it was just so much pressure placed upon him. The consequences if he failed would be disastrous. He would be leaving the world at the mercy of Voldemort, he who had no mercy. That couldn't happen, so the only option was to destroy Voldemort. He had to kill him. There was simply no other way.

It wasn't going to be easy without Dumbledore. He couldn't do this on his own, he needed help, and he needed Hermione. It was still early. The funeral wasn't till after breakfast, so he imagined she was still in her dorm, but they would have plenty of time to talk on the train back to London. So with one last look at the rising sun over the lake he turned to head back into the castle, when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

It looked like someone was running out of the forest, stumbling over from exhaustion. He hesitantly started to make his way over to them, pulling his wand out of his pocket as he went.

As he watched they seemed to fall over their feet and collapse onto the ground in a boneless heap. Starting to jog slightly he closed the distance between them. He had had some surprises in the last few years at Hogwarts, but nothing prepared him for the shock he got when they rolled onto their back, and he saw a face he wasn't likely to ever forget. The second to last person he would ever have expected to return to Hogwarts had, he was back.

Malfoy.


	3. Safe

**Disclaimer: Belongs to JK Rowling**

**A New Direction **

**Part Three **

……

The one thought that she managed to keep a clear grasp on as she raced towards the hospital wing was that he was alive, and he was safe. Beyond that nothing mattered. Ignoring the expressions of shock on the other students' faces, she continued on.

She had no idea how he managed to make it back to Hogwarts after he got out of the Dark Lord's grasp. But frankly, she didn't care that much. He had come back, just like he said he would. He came for her.

So intent on her path she was, she didn't notice anyone in front of her till she had knocked right into them.

"Bloody hell," the male voice muttered, "Do you think you could watch where you are going?" He turned, and the scowl on his face deepened, Potter. "Going to see how the boyfriend is doing?"

"He's not my… oh just get out of my way you idiot." She snapped, shoving him to the side and continuing on her way to the hospital wing. _Trust Potter to get in the way._

Pushing open doors, she walked as fast as she could to the only bed that was occupied, curtained off at the end of the room.

"Draco?" She asked hesitantly as she pulled the curtain back a little.

There was no answer, stepping closer she noticed he seemed to be sleeping, she took a lot of comfort from watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. She never thought she'd be so relieved to see that simple thing, a physical sign that he was all right.

"He's taken a Dreamless Sleeping Draught," Madam Pomfrey said from behind her, "I've healed his injuries, but he needs sleep. A lot of sleep, so I'm afraid you won't be able to talk to him to at least tomorrow dear."

"Can I sit with him?"

"Of course you can," she said. "I'll be in my office if you need anything."

She nodded absently, sitting in the chair beside his bed to wait. If she could do nothing to heal Draco physically, she could ensure that the first thing he saw upon awakening was a friendly face. It was the least she could do for her best friend.

_To be continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Belongs to JK Rowling

A New Direction

4/?

-

They were in there, having one of the most important conversations they had had in recent times, and they were excluding him. The one who was gifted with the responsibility to ensure they all lived. And they had locked him out, and that door wasn't budging. So he was stuck out in the corridor, pacing up in front of the door, throwing a heady glare at the door from time to time, just to show his displeasure. The Twins were in there! Why the hell couldn't he? He had as much, if not more right than those two to be in there, Peruvian Darkness Powder anyone?

Hermione was sitting on the edge of her seat, her eyes following his every move. If he wasn't so mad, he would tell her to stop, he just couldn't be bothered.

"They'll be out soon Harry," she said quietly, "We'll know soon what is happening."

He scoffed, "You said that ten minutes ago Hermione."

"Yeah, well I meant it then, and I mean it now."

He rolled his eyes, and kept walking.

"It's good that's taking them so long," she said, getting up and walking up to him, "It means they are really thinking about it, not rushing to judgment, and making a hasty decision."

"A bad decision would be listening to anything that slime-ball has to say," he spat, "Spinning them a line and a half he will be, I should be in there."

"Please be reasonable," Hermione said, "You told us what happened up there, he didn't do it. Professor Snape did, don't hold what he did against him. He was just trying to protect his family, his mother, you understand that don't you Harry?"

Trust Hermione, to bring that up, doing whatever it takes to protect your family, killing or dying to keep them safe. "Yes I do, I still don't trust the slimy ferret."

"Alright then," she smiled, "Will you sit down now? You're making me a wee bit dizzy watching you pace back and forth."

The door opened behind Hermione at that moment, and out stalked Malfoy, with Parkinson dashing after him, throwing barely a glance in their direction. The sound of a suit of armour crashing to the ground came up to them. Hermione looked at Harry, her eyes wide, he wondered what the hell had happened to make Malfoy lose his cool.

Mrs. Weasley, and Professor McGonagall came out a moment later, "Ah, here you are," Mrs. Weasley said.

"What's going to happen?" Harry asked urgently, "With Malfoy."

"We've decided," McGonagall began, "To grant Mr Malfoy a safe harbour if you will."

"You are keeping him from Voldemort," Hermione said quietly, "So is he on our side, or are you just making that decision for him?"

"Whether is on our side or not doesn't matter Miss Granger, he isn't on Voldemort's, and as a student of Hogwarts it is my responsibility to keep him safe," she said.

"And how are you going to do that?" Harry asked.

"He's staying with us, as well as Miss Parkinson," Mrs. Weasley said.

"What!" Ron shouted.

"Keep your voice down Ronald," she scolded, "You have no say in this matter. Now I'll see you all at the Floo in half an hour, enough time to get your things together."

Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione, Ron looked as though he wanted to kill something, rather viciously, while Hermione had a very thoughtful expression on her face.

"This is going to be interesting," she said.

"Most definitely," he muttered.

-

_To be continued..._


End file.
